Table 1.
Characteristics of the sample and the construct validity between these characteristics and both scales.
| Characteristic | Univariate Distribution | WELLS a | NVS b |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Sample | n = 869 | ||
| Mean (Standard Deviation (SD)) | Correlation | Correlation | |
| Age | 37.8% (11.6) c | r = 0.010 | r = 0.037 |
| Percentage (n) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 41.5% (361) | 5.07 (0.99) | 4.93 (1.26) |
| Female | 57.5% (500) | 4.92 (1.03) | 5.04 (1.17) |
| Prefer not to Answer | <1% (5) | 4.60 (1.67) | 4.60 (1.14) |
| Missing | <1% (3) | ||
| Race | |||
| American Indian or Alaska Native | <1% (1) | - | - |
| Asian or Asian Indian | 5.0% (43) | - | - |
| Black or African American | 6.0% (52) | - | - |
| Latino | 6.9% (60) | - | - |
| Multiracial | 1.6% (14) | - | - |
| White | 77.5% (694) | - | - |
| Prefer not to Answer | <1% (3) | - | - |
| Missing | <1% (2) | - | - |
| Education | - | - | |
| College Graduate | 51.8% (450) | * 5.11 (0.88) | * 5.12 (1.13) |
| Some College | 34.4% (299) | * 4.90 (1.11) | * 4.92 (1.25) |
| High School Graduate | 12.5% (109) | * 4.71 (1.24) | * 4.71 (1.35) |
| Some High School | <1% (2) | * 5.50 (0.71) | * 6.00 (0) |
| Prefer not to answer | <1% (6) | * 4.17 (0.98) | * 4.17 (0.75) |
| Missing | <1% (3) | ||
| Income | |||
| $0–35,999 | 35.0% (304) | * 4.91 (1.06) | * 4.98 (1.26) |
| $36,000–50,999 | 19.2% (167) | * 4.86 (1.17) | * 4.80 (1.30) |
| $51,000–75,999 | 19.3% (168) | * 5.05 (0.96) | * 4.96 (1.24) |
| $76,000 or higher | 24.1% (209) | * 5.14 (0.85) | * 5.20 (0.95) |
| Prefer not to answer | 2.3% (20) | * 4.85 (1.18) | * 4.85 (1.53) |
| Missing | <1% (1) | ||
| Homeowner Status | |||
| Own | 49.3% (428) | 5.04 (0.97) | 5.02 (1.17) |
| Rent | 43.8% (381) | 4.91 (1.05) | 4.93 (1.30) |
| Other Arrangement | 6.8% (59) | 4.97 (1.24) | 5.13 (0.86) |
| Don’t know/Not sure | <1% (1) | 5.00 (0) | 6.00 (0) |
| Prior Well | |||
| Yes | 37.2% (323) | 5.00 (0.98) | 5.07 (1.13) |
| No | 62.6% (544) | 4.97 (1.04) | 4.94 (1.25) |
| Missing | <1% (2) | ||
| Current Well | |||
| Yes | 11.4% (99) | 4.99 (1.07) | 5.03 (1.20) |
| No | 78.2% (680) | 4.97 (1.00) | 4.99 (1.20) |
| Missing | 10.4% (90) | ||
| Current Septic | |||
| Yes | 23.2% (202) | 5.01 (0.97) | 5.01 (1.09) |
| No | 67.8% (589) | 4.97 (1.01) | 5.01 (1.23) |
| Missing | 9.0% (78) |
a Numbers are mean score and standard deviation between each demographic or household variable and the Water Environmental Literacy Level Scale (WELLS). Calculations were performed with either t-tests or ANOVAs. A lower case r denotes the use of correlations to assess the relationship between two continuous. Higher mean scores mean higher environmental health liteacy. b Numbers are mean score and standard deviation between each demographic or household variable and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). Calculations were performed with either t-tests or ANOVAs. A lower case r denotes the use of correlations to assess the relationship between two continuous. Higher mean scores mean higher health liteacy. c Total sample size is 869. Numbers are sample size and percentage for each variables. * Indicates that there is a significant difference in scores between demographic or household characteristics.